Continuous press



Aug. 16. 1927. 1,638,981

A. COLUMBRO CONTINUOUS PRESS Filed, March 20. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheetl Aug. 16 1927.

A. coLUMBRQ CONTINUOUS PRESS Filed March 20. 1926 2 Sheets-Shee/Z Patented Aug. 16, 1927.

ANGELO OOLUMBRO, or STOOKTON, CALIFORNIA.

CONTINUOUS rREss.

Application mea March 2O, 192e. vserial No. 96,175.

The present invention relates to continuous presses, and is particularly an improvement over the press disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 695.269, filed` February 26, 1924 (now Patent No. 1,577,519, issued March 23', 1926).

vOne object of the invention is the provision vof endless chains 'of novel construction for obtaining pressure between them to coin- 11 press the material which passes between the chains.

Another object is the provision of endless chains of bars and novel means for actuating them.

A lfurtherobject is to improve the co'nstruction of the chains and actuating means therefor, whereby the machine will be practical and efficient.

With the foregoing 'and other objects in view, which will be apparent as the descrip tion proceeds, the invention resides in the construct-ion and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spiritV of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accomanying drawings,- wherein- K Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of the machine.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, portions being shown in elevation andy portions being broken away.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation showing the hinge connections of the presser bars, with one pair of bars shown in cross section.

Fig. 5 is a cross section on the line 5-5 of Fig. '2.

The machine, in its general construction and operation, is substantially like that disclosed in said copending application, but

only one pair of presser chains is disclosed herein and other parts,jnot pertinent to the present improvements, are also omitted. The machine is used for expressing juice, liquid or moisture kfrom various materials yand 50. products, such as fruit,l berries, vegetables,

grain, seed, peat, etc., but the built and used for purposes expressing, such as forcompressing mate- A suitable Vframe 10 is providedwhich, as shown, is built of structural iron or 'steel-,l in.

machine can be Y other than forv which are mounted the endless presser chains which are superposed. The upper chain is composed of a series of transverse presser bars 11 and the lower chain is composed of a series of transverse presser bars 12. bars may be of wood, metal or Aother suitable material, and may be of different sizes. The bars 12 of the lower chain have recesses 12. to receive the material that is to'be compressed, and the bars 11 of the'upper chain have portions 11 intermediate their ends which are of reduced cross-section substantially coeXtensive in lenth with the recesses 12.v 'Clamping sleeves 13 of rectangular cross-section surround the portions 11 and are slidable thereon toward and away from the bars 12. when the bars 11 and 12 are disposed together at the adjacent runs of the chains. The sleeves 13 are thereforeY movable into the recesses 12 for compressing the material which, as more fully disclosed in the aforesaid application, may be surrounded by a sheet or cloth 19.

The bars of each chain are hingedly connected. Thus, end pieces or plates 14 are secured Ato the ends of the bars of each chain and are overlapped and pivotallyconnected, as at 15, between the bars. the bars being preferably 'spaced apart. In this manner, the bars of each yset are connected in an endless chain, and said chains of bars pass around wheels 16 at the opposite limits of travel of the chains. Said wheels 16 are mounted on transverse shafts 17 ournaled in bearings 18 secured to the frame.

Thechains are not driven from the wheels 16, but instead the adjacent presser bars of the two chains are individually advanced, thereby moving the presser bars positively and effectively, without strains on the joints between the bars. The chains are actuated by worms or screws 40between the two chains and having theirv terminals journaled in the frame beyond the "wheels 16. The end portions of the bars 11 and 12, which bear together snugly, have the screwthreaded recesses or half-nuts 51 to engage the upper and lower portions of the worms, whereby when'the vbars of the twov chains come together they embrace the worms so that the pairs of bars are advanced b'y the worms, which worms are rotated by any suitable gearing, such yas disclosed in the aforesaid application. he worms 4being located between the two chains willllgax ene 'gagged by thebars 1.1 andi@ said. .ba-rs Said y are moved together at the meeting portions of the chains, so that all of the bars along the adjacent runs of the chains will engage the worms to be driven positively thereby.

In order to cause the bars of the pairs to register, dowel pins 50 are secured in the bars 12 and have tapered projecting portions to enter recesses in the bars 11, and the tapered dowels entering the recesses in the bars 11 willv cause the bars to come together accurately, as well as preventing longitudinal or transverse displacement of the bars of each pair. As shown, the dowel pins 50 are located between the recesses 12 and worms 40.

In order to clamp the bars 11 and 12 of each pair together so as to hold them on the worms 40, leaf springs 52 are secured, as at 53, to the bars 12 and extend across the ends of the bars 12. Said springs 52 have hooks or catches 54 to engage over the bars 11 when the bars 11 and 12 are brought together, thereby preventing the bars of each pair from separating' until the spring catches arel disengaged from the bars 11. Cam lingers 55 project from the hooks 54 to enable the bars 11 to pass between the hooks 54 when the bars 11 and 12 are moved together, the bars 11 in moving between the free ends of the springs 52 engaging the fingers 55 and separat-ing said springs. Then, when the bars are brought together the hooks 54 will snap over the bars l1, thereby holding the bars together until they reach the point where they separate. Cams 55 are carried by the frame 10 at the point where the bars are separated, and lie in the paths of the Vlingers 55 to move said fingers outwardly and disengage the hooks 54 from the bars 11, thereby permitting the bars to separate. The spring catches automatically latch the bars together where they meet, and the cams 55 unlock the bars where they separate, and from the point where the bars meet to the point where they separate the bars are latched together on the worms so as to be driven positively by said worms. This prevents the bars 11 and 12 from separating from the point of meeting to the point of separation, and the variable pressure on the material is obtained by the movement of the sleeves 13 on the bars 11.

The adjacent runs of the chains are guided by the lower and upper longitudinal series' of rollers 56 and 57 respectively. Said Vrollers engage track members 58 and 58 secured to the opposite edges of the bars 12 and sleeves 13,`respectively, and the track members or wear pieces 58 and 58 are preferably flanged. The bars 12 move over the lower rollers 56, while the bars 11 of the upper chain move under the rollers 57, whereby the adjacent runs of the chains pass between the upper and lower rollers, the upper rollers 57 pressing the sleeves or clamping members 13 down toward the bars 12 to obtain the desired pressure.

The series of rollers 56 are mounted on axles 63 having their ends engaged in apertures provided in pairs of longitudinal rails 61, which extend between the lower wheels 16, whereby the upper bars 12 of the lower chain are supported in the saine horizontal plane. Each pair of railsf'or bars 61 is secured by bolts 62 within U-shaped supports 60 spaced apart longitudinally of the machine, and bolted or otherwise secured on cross beams 59 of the frame 10. The rollers 56 are thus supported from the frame, for supporting the upper run of the lower chain against depression, and the presser bars 12 may move freely over the rollers 56 with minimum friction and noise.

The rollers 57 of each longitudinal series are mounted on axles 64 which have their ends engaged in apertures in pairs of bars or rails 65 of short length arranged end to end. The rails or b-ars 61 are continuous from one end to the other, whereas the bars of the upper rollers 57 are divided at longitudinally spaced points, and each unit carries several rollers, whereby the units may swing relatively to one another in a vertical plane in which the rollers are disposed. The end portions of the bars 65 pivotally engage bolts or pivot members 66 extending through U- shaped hangers or supporting members 67, which serve to hingedly connect the adjacent ends of the bars 65. The hangers 67 are bolted or otherwise secured to cross or transverse beams 68 which are mounted for'vertical movement. The end portions ofthe beams 68 are guided vertically between vertical guides 69 secured to side members of the frame 10, and pieces 71 are secured tothe beams 68 and bear against the guide members 69 to prevent endwise movement of said beams. n

The beams 68 are yieldingly depressed, for similarly depressing the rollers 57 andV sleeves or members 18, to supply the pressure for pressing the material between the chains. Thus, vertical rods 72 extend through the beams 59 and 68 outwardly beyond the worms 40 and presser bars, andV have heads or nuts 7 3 at their lower ends `seating upwardly against the beams 59. Wfashers or disks 74 are disposed onV said rods above the beams 68, and seat against nuts 75 screwthreaded on the upper terminals of the rod 72, and coiled springs 76 are coniined between the disks 74 and beams 68, tol depress said beams under considerable pressure. The pressure is regulated by adjusting the nuts 75. f

In operation, the fruit, vegetables, cotton seed, or other material to be compressed or from which the juice, oil or other-liquid or moisture is to be expressed, ispassed between the adjacent vruns of the chains.

IVhen using the machine asa iilter press for -the material therein, said sheet being folded together so as to surround the material, and also serving to filter the juice or liquid. As shown in Fig.' 2, thevv edge portions ofthe sheet are folded into overlapping relation over the material. The worms 40 are rotated to advance the pairsl ot bars 11 and 12 the adjacent runs of the chains. When said bars move together, the bars 11 pass between the spi-ings 52,'thereby springing said springs apart, until the bars come together, at which time the hooksl 54 snap over the bars 11 and latch the bars 11 and 12 together on the worms. The bars are therefore positively and effectively advanced by the worms. It will be. noted that the sleeves oi clamping membersl may be loose while the bars are being brought together and latched, andthe bars are therefore latched or secured tog-etlier in advance of the application of pressure. Thus, the sleeves or members 13 do not move under the pressure rollers 57 until the bars 11 and 12 have been latched together. Then, the sleeves 13 passing under the rollers 57 will be pressed down by spring pressure, so as to squeeze or compress the material between the sleeves 13 and bars 12. The pressure maybe regulated so as to increase as the chains advance between the rollers 56 and 57. When the bars reach the point where they separate, the fingers 55 passing the cams 55 will be moved outwardly to disengage the hooks 54 from the bars 11, thereby permitting the bars 11 and 12 to separate.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. In a machine of the character described, a. pair of chains, a worm engaging the adjacent runs of said chains for driving them, and means carried by the chains for holding the adjacent runs thereof together.

2. In a machine ot the character described, a pair of endless chains, a worm at the adjacent runs of said chains, said chains having nut portions to engage said worm for driving the chains from the worm, and catches carried by one chain to engage the other chain at the adjacent runs of the chains for holding said nut portions together on said worm. v

3. In a machine of the character described, a. pair of endless chains of transverse bars, and worms adjacent to the opposite edges of the adjacent runs of said chains, said bars of the two chains being adapted to bear together at the adjacent runs of the chains and having portions adapted to interengage and said bars having portions near their ends to engage said worms for driving the chains from said worms.

said worm for driving the chains from said worin, and means carried by the chains for fholding the adjacent runs of the chains against separation'while moving along said worm. l

5. In a machine of the character described,

'apair of chains of bars,'a worm between the chains, said bars having nut portions to engage said worin, and means for latching the corresponding bars of the two chains together'ai'ound the worm when moving along the worm.

6. In a machine ot' the character described,

-a pair of chains of transverse bars, a worm betweeny said chains, said bars having nut portionsito engage said worm, and means carriedby the bars for holding the adjacent runs of the chains together to prevent said bars from separating.

7 In a machine of the character described, a pair of chains, a worm between said chains, the chains having portions toengage said worm, catches carried by one chain to engage the other chain for latching the chains together against separation at their adjacent runs, and means for unlatcliing the chains at a point of separation.

8. In a machine of the characterdescribed, a pair of chains of transverse bars, a worm between said chains, said bars having nut portions to engage the worm, spring catches carried by the bars of one chain and engageable with the bars of the other chain for holding the bars together at the adjacent runs of the chains, and means for disengaging said catches from the last named bars at a point of separation.

9. In a machine of the character described, pairs of chains of transverse bars hingedly connected, a worm between the chains for driving them, said bars having nut portions Ato engage said worm, leaf springs carried by the bars of one chain and having hooks to engage the bars of the other chain for holding the bars together at the adjacent runs of the chains, and means for disengaging said hooks from the last named bars when the bars reach a point of separation.

10. In a machine of the character described, a pair of chains of transverse bars, a worm for driving said bars, said bars of the two chains being adapted to bear together' at the adjacent runs of the chains and having portions adapted to interengage and said bars having nut portions engageable with said worm, means for holding said bars together when moving along the worm, presser members carried by the bars of one chain and movable toward the bars of the other chain, and means for moving said members toward the last named chain.

11. In a machine of the character described, a pair of chains of transverse hingedly connected bars, a Worm for driving` said chains, said bars of the tWo chains bein@` adapted to bear together at the adjacentruns oi" the chains and having portions adapted to interengage and said bars having nut portions to engage said Worm, means for holding said bars together when movable along said Worin, presser sleeves mounted on the bars ol one chain, and means for moving said sleeves toward the bars of the other chain.

l2. ln a machine oit the character described, a pair of chains ot' transverse bars, a Worm for driving said bars, said bars having` portions to engage said Worin, latches carried by the bars ot one chain to engage the bars of the other chain for holding the bars toO'ether afrainst the Worm resser members carried by the bars of one chain movable toward the bars of the other chain, and means for moving said members toward the bars oi the last named chain.

13. 1n a machine of the character described, a pair of chains of transverse hingedly connected bars, Worms between said chains at the opposite edges of the chains, said bars having nut portions to engage said Worms7 catches carried by the bars of one chain to engage the bars oftl the other chain for holding the bars together in engagement with said Worm, means for disengaging said catches from the last named bars when the bars reach a point of separation, presser sleeves on the bars of one chain movable toward and away from the bars of the other chain, and means for moving said sleeves toward the bars of the last named chain.

ln testimony whereof hereunto affix my signature.

Y ANGEL@ COLUMBRO. 

